Category: Owingsville

Fratman Hall

On By Ginger Karrick KincaidIn Entertainment, Mr. Burl's Writing, OwingsvilleLeave a comment
 
There used to be a place in Owingsville where actors would gather and put on grand performances.  Seriously.
From the journals:
“Chick” is in there selling nuts and bolts, paints and varnishes, and most anything you need in the hardware line but what does that have to do with Fratman Hall?  That’s right – the Smith and Son building was originally an entertainment emporium. 
Mr. Fratman was the owner and manager of the upstairs auditorium.  The rear of the downstairs, which is presently occupied by the Maze Auction Company, housed a circular staircase such as those seen in movies of yesteryear.  The actors and actresses dressed in the rooms at the foot of the stairs and walked up to the stage.
Vaudeville type shows, plays, and other forms of show biz were the order of the day.  Often, young boys would hang around the entrance after the show started, and if the house was not full and the boys were deserving, they were permitted to enter free of charge.
We have a sneaking suspicion that Mr. Burl was one of those boys who would hang around the entrance! 
~Ginger

 

A clipping from an old Owingsville Outlook (March 10, 1892). A show called “The World” is playing at Fratman Hall and it is mentioned twice in the left column and once in the right.

The Owingsville Panthers

On By Ginger Karrick KincaidIn Mr. Burl's Writing, Owingsville, SportsLeave a comment

From the journals about a basketball team that he played on. He and his teammates would have been between 18 and 21.

Prior to the 1935-36 basketball season, a group of young men organized a semi pro team. After much discussion regarding organization, uniforms, transportation, finances, and team name, it was apparent from our first talks that we would like a name not being used much in our area so we chose the name “Panthers.”  Having attractive, colorful uniforms required much input from the squad members. Finally, we selected crimson and gray (Ohio State University colors) which made a very striking outfit.  Our warm-up jackets were crimson with gray sleeves and they had a Panther head to the left on the chest.  Fortunately, we knew Roy Kissick who was the proud owner of a huge Cadillac(with jump seats) and would transport our team. On occasions he would crowd 13 in that fine car.

The Panthers scheduled several independent or semi-pro teams in this area, such as Paris, Camargo, Morehead CCC, Carlisle, Little Rock and others.  We won more than half of the games we played.

The Panther Squad

Coach Morgan Steele

Players:
John H. Elliott
Roger Byron
Burl Kincaid Jr.
Harold Reynolds
Charles Hazelrigg
Charlie McKee
Charles Anderson
“Dinks” Jones

        

Minihan Saddles

On By donlkincaidIn Mr. Burl's Writing, Owingsville3 Comments

From Daddy’s notes:

Bath County at one time produced some of the finest saddles obtainable.  The saddles were custom made to fit the individual. There are today some of those saddles still around.  Doris Darnell Kincaid owns one of those prized saddles as do some other Bath Countians.

Eugene Minihan founded and operated the saddlery business in O’ville.  He surround himself with several skilled employees and produced the renowned Minihan saddles. His shop was located where Dr. D.C. Cameron now has his office on the west side of Jefferson St. 

Mr. Minihan only made saddles for the individual, in other words, tailor made. The finest leather was used and the workmanship was excellent.  Great pride was taken in the comfort and fit built into the saddles.  

The author has one of the small anvils used by Mr. Minihan in the making of his fine saddles.

After 50 years of the Minihan saddle hanging in a hot garage, my mom sold the saddle to a collector in Cynthiana.  He cleaned and repaired the saddle and it is on display in his workshop. 

From the internet about Minihan:

“Eugene Minihan is credited with originating the “Kentucky Springseat” saddle. Mr. Minihan made these saddles in his shop in Owingsville, KY from the late 1880s to the time of his death in 1926. Many knowledgeable horsemen consider them the finest riding saddle ever. Minihan took a standard Somerset Broad Cantle saddle tree and removed the center of the tree bars, then spliced in pieces of stiff leather to make a sort of “hinge”. This was the first, and most successful, flexible tree design. It is very labor intensive to construct, and new saddle trees of this type are not commercially available. Original Minihans are highly prized, and several skilled saddle makers rebuild them on the original trees.”

Don

The X-Ray Mobile Comes to Owingsville

On By Ginger Karrick KincaidIn Miss Jane's Letters, OwingsvilleLeave a comment

In the summers of the late 1940’s, Mr. Burl, Reuben Kincaid, Henry Ficklin, and R.W. (Reuben’s son) went out west to harvest bluegrass seed.   Don will write more about the harvesting part a bit later, but what I want to share with you are the numerous letters Miss Jane (Mr. Burl’s mother) wrote to them while they were away.  

I love these letters, and I hope you enjoy them as well.  I’ll tag them all with the label “A Letter From Miss Jane,” and that way you can find them easily if you want to share or reread them at some point.  They shed a wonderful light on the Owingsville of that time period. If you want to add anything, please feel free to leave a comment.  We don’t know who everyone is that Miss Jane mentions so we could use your help!

Just a few notes to get started:

  • I’ll transcribe the letters, but also add scans of them. The bolded parts might be of particular interest and if you see an asterisk, I’ll have a note at the end about something.  Footnoting would work better than asterisks, but I need to figure out how to do that on here.
  • I’ll put a _______ instead of a name if I think there is even a chance that something she wrote might cause anyone embarrassment, and I do that in this letter.
Here’s the first letter we’ll share, written on a Thursday morning a long time ago.
 
Dear Son,
          Well, Henry arrived sooner than we expected, got here Tuesday night – and the chicken wasn’t fried – ha!  We were glad to see him.  He had been gone 8 weeks. He was so tired.
          We got your letter of the 20th yesterday.  You had some of the Missouri mud that May has talked about .  Hope you got your car out alright.
           Did you find any more seed?  Will you have more than one car?
           Tuesday and yesterday were very hot days and I believe today will be too.
           We are expecting the copper pipe any day now that Mr. Horton has ordered.  Ernie has promised to put the tub in as soon as the pipe comes.  
           _________ disappointed us in the papering, so Burl engaged George Harris* to come Monday.  I am so anxious to get through.  The porch floor is fresh and bright in its coat of green and the furniture is all out. You painted the chairs last year, I believe.  They look nice and white.  The lawns all through the street have been freshly cut and look so pretty.
          Marguerite** and I had the X-Ray yesterday – you know the X-Ray-mobile is here.  We had letters from Mr. Roschi*** saying this is the teacher’s year for a physical examination.
          There was a very swell wedding in the colored Methodist Church****  yesterday afternoon – a Duncan girl and the groom was from Colorado.
          Ella went back with Dan and Mimi*****, have you heard from her?
          Mr. John Crane is in hospital very ill.  He is up in 80, I believe.
          This is “fishing day” again.  I wish Daddy could have some luck.  Banks****** caught two bass last Thursday.
          We are all alright.
                                                                                                   Lots of love, 
                                                                                                   Mother
 
*George Harris was a prominent resident of Owingsville and a member of the city council (probably the first African-American council member in our town). 
**Marguerite Lester – she lived next door to Miss Jane (the house that burned by us).  Her husband was Dr. Lester.
***Mr. Roschi was the school superintendent.
****I think I wince each time I see the word “colored,” but it was a common term of that time period.  The “colored Methodist Church” she refers to is the A.M.E. church on West High Street by the old water tower.
*****Dan and Mimi Doggett.  Ella is Ella Doggett (Goodpaster).  
******Banks Thompson.  The “Daddy” she refers to is her husband, Burl, Sr. That was what she called him.
 

 

 

 
 

Old Owingsville Receipts

On By Ginger Karrick KincaidIn Old Pictures, Owingsville2 Comments
The weather finally prettied up a bit, so I was able to haul in another box of goodies from our storage building.  What a treat to find these old receipts from the early 1900’s.  I like the one from the telephone company the most.  
A 1910 telephone receipt – can you imagine? 

 

Shrout, Piper & Shrout burial receipt.
I can’t make out the last number in the year, but it’s from the 1910’s.
Owingsville Cemetery receipt.  I like how they used the words “Cemetery Sexton.”
I don’t know if that is still used or not but I don’t think I’ve ever heard it around here.

 

A receipt from the coal yard in Owingsville.  The Dawson family owned the coal yard which was located about where the health department is now.  You can see its location on the old maps of Owingsville that I’ve linked to here on the blog.

 

Kimbraugh & Son receipt from 1911, I’m assuming from their drug store.